THE FINALS WERE SET FOR THE KIDS & TEEN GAMES COMPETITIONS. WHAT WE DIDN'T KNOW WAS THAT...
before the finals were to be played, there was to be a Kindergarden graduation . . . & we were to be the guests of honor! We felt very privileged & undeserving. They sat us in the very front of the proceedings (most thankfully in the shade), & Patty was asked to give a short message on how to better work with children. We were very glad for this opportunity, as there was much we'd had trouble with in how we saw children being treated & viewed in general.
Kenya was a very formal culture & at every school we attended, proper protocol & introductions were of paramount importance to follow. At the graduation, following lengthy & formal introductions of the entire school staff, the PTA head got up & addressed the parents for at least an hour about Lord knows what. In general, the ceremony was very long & drawn out for us, but hey... when's the next time we're going to be named guests of honor at a Kindergarden graduation ceremony in Kenya?!
When the kids finally came marching out (literally), they were adorable and it had been worth the wait. They sang 2 short songs & presented a short theatre piece in Swahili that was a big hit. Keep in mind these are K-5 kids now. It was lovely. Afterwards Patty spoke very well about how Satan is always looking to destroy children or at the very least take away their dignity & hope. She alluded to biblical rulers Pharoah & Herod & how they'd been used to give orders to massacre an entire generation in an attempt to try & thwart God's redemptive plan. She emphasized our God-given role as protectors, mentors & parents to children; & also challenged the adults to think of God's plan for this generation of children. The message was spot on, & translated into English & Swahili so everyone could understand.
We were then asked to give out the diplomas to kids & certificates as well to the top students in each grade. After the ceremony, the finals competitions began. Everyone was stoked & 4 schools & 1 church had come bringing participants. In the end Matulo came out on top in teen girls' volleyball. Nambalaya triumphed in 12 & under girls' volleyball. Milo primary had won for 12 & under boys' football/soccer. Milo Secondary won in teen boys' football.
All & all it was a spectacular & exhausting day! To be honest, the sports' ministry through Kids' & Teen Games, was the ministry that had the most impact in Webuye. Many schools found out after the fact, about the program & were thoroughly disappointed. Bishop Alex himself, was regretful that he hadn't been successful in attracting more interest from local schools from the beginning. The town was literally a buzz after the event, & we were told the mayor was very interested in meeting us - so we sent 4 members of the team to greet & pray for him, and he was most grateful. Things worked out well competitively as well. Each of the major participants went home with a trophy, & we were all amazed that something as simple as a trophy brought so much joy to the kids & their respective schools. Bishop Alex commented that they'd never seen such trophies in their lives & everyone was soooo appreciative & begging us to return to organize a bigger event next year!
One of our goals had been to train, encourage, & equip the church we were working with to continue carrying out sports ministry & we were blessed to have many young people & pastors from the church working & coordinating side by side with us throughout the event! We left the program curriculum & teaching material with Bishop Alex & his staff, & again hope they will accept the challenge to organize the next Kids&/or Teen Games event next year!
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